1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluorescent screen, and more particularly to a fluorescent screen containing an organic substance capable of emitting visible light when activated by stimulating light impinging thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known a display system having a fluorescent screen which comprises a flat plate made of a transparent plastic containing a fluorescent substance which fluoresces (or phosphoresces) when activated by stimulating light impinging thereto such as ultraviolet light, visible light, near-infrared radiation, or the like. The fluorescent substance is for example a piperidinium tetra benzoyltrifluoroacetone europium complex as disclosed in Japanese patent application Laid-Open No. 63-191884. When a scanning beam of stimulating light is impinged onto the fluorescent screen in such a manner that it forms a minute spot on the screen, the fluorescent substance existing within the spot emits light. The spot plays the role of a picture element, a plurality of which display an image.
Such a known fluorescent screen is utilized for a display segment used in an image display device of a rear-projection or front-projection type. In the rear-projection type, the scanning beam of stimulating light is applied onto the back side of the fluorescent screen immediately after luminescent light is allowed to pass through the front side thereof toward an observer's eyes. In the front-projection image display device, the beam of stimulating light is impinged onto the front side of the fluorescent screen immediately after luminescent light is allowed to pass through the same front side thereof toward an observer's eyes.
As shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, when a beam of stimulating light is applied onto the back side surface 20b of a fluorescent screen 20, the luminescent light emitted from a fluorescent substance 21 is scattered in every direction as indicated by the broken lines. Since the fluorescent screen has generally been in the form of a transparent plastic plate having smooth surfaces, most of the emitted luminescent light is totally reflected between the interfacial surfaces of the fluorescent screen 20 and then laterally propagated within the fluorescent screen 20 although only one part of the emitted luminescent light goes out form the display side surface 20a of the fluorescent screen 20. Therefore, the quantity of luminescent light to be actually emitted from the fluorescent screen 20 is small in comparison with the level of the applied stimulating light, so that the conversion efficiency from the irradiated stimulating light into the emitted luminescent light is low. The intensity of luminescent light emitted toward the display side of the fluorescent screen is so low that the screen as viewed by the observer is relatively dark.